Sheet feeding machine



June 20, 1939. A HORMEL v2,162,889

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 4, 1938 ATTORNEY A.HORMEL June 20, 1939.

SHEET FEED ING MACHINE Filed Aug. 4. 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June20, 1939 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHEET FEEDING MACHINE AugustHormel, Hoboken, N. J., assigner to National-Standard Company, acorporation of Michigan Application August 4, 1938, Serial No. 223,028

Claims. (Cl. 271-51) This invention relates to sheet metal feedingmechanisms of the character shown in my prior Patent No. 2,114,108,dated April 12, 1938, wherein the metal sheets' are fed to impression orimsion of means by which the strength of the magnetism exerted by themagnetic rollers and other fixed magnetic elements may be varied to meetvarious requirements and to accommodate the various sizes and weights ofsheets handled by the feeding mechanism. Other objects of the inventionwill appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, in which an embodiment of the invention isshown, Fig. l is a plan view of the improved feeding mechanism, withparts broken away to disclose construction;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of i u Fig, 1, looking in thedirection of the arrows; Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the fixedmagnetic sheet-holding elements and associated parts; Fig. 4 is asectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction ofthe arrows; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5'5 of Fig. 3,locking in the direction of the arrows.

With reference to the portion of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2,the impression roller to which the sheets to be coated or lacquered arefed is shown at 2, the same being secured on the shaft 3 journalled inthe side frames 4 and 5 of the machine. Shaft 3 carries a gear 6 whichmeshes with and is driven by a gear 1 on the shaft 8 of the bed roller 9mounted below the impression roller in the manner well understood in theart. The sheets to be imprinted are fed between the two rollers 2 and 9from the left, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2. Gear l on the shaft 8 mesheswith a gear I0 on the end of a drive 0 shaft II rotatively supported inthe frame members 4 and 5, said shaft being directly or indirectlydriven from any suitable source of power.

The sheets to `be imprinted are delivered to the feeding mechanism byany suitable conveyor means and are received upon a supporting elementI2 from which they are removed Vvby a series of permanent magneticrollers I3, all mounted uponthe shaft I4 supported in the bearings I5.Shaft I4 carries four sprockets I6 situated between the magneticrollers, said sprockets being driven by the chains I1 extending from thesprockets I8 secured on the shaft I9 supported in-the bearings 20. Thechains I'I are also vextended over the idlers 2I and 22. Shaft I9 isprovided with the bevel gear 23 engaging with the bevel gear 24 on shaft25'supported in the bearing brackets 26 and carrying bevel gear 28 whichmeshes with a bevel gear 29 on the drive shaft II.

Each sheet metal plate, one of which is shown at 30, in Fig. 2, is movedby the magnetic rollers I3 toward the right and upon leaving the rollersI3 it comes to rest on top of a table or supporting plate 3| situatedintermediate of Athe mag-V netic feed rollers I3 and the impression andbed rollers 2 and 9 respectively, where it is held for a short periodof. time by magnetic means until the'edge 3I of the plate is engaged byfeed lugs 32, one of which is carried by each of the 'chains I'I.Theselugs 32 move the plate toward the right, as viewed in Figs. 1 and2, until it is magnetically engaged by magnetic rollers 12 of thepermanent magnet type and moved by them between the impression and bedrollers 2 and 9 respectively.

The magnetic means for holding the plate 30 in position of rest upon thetable 3I comprises the four disks or buttons of iron', steel,.or othermagnetizable metal set into brass plates 36 secured by the screws 31 tothe top -of sup' porting plate 38 which co-operates with or forms a partof table 3| and which is of brass or other non-magnetic material.Supporting plate 38 rests upon and is secured to a channelled supportingbar 39, also of a non-'magnetic material.

The disks or buttons 35 are held in position by means of the long screws40, clearly shown in Fig. 4, which have their lower ends threaded into aplate 4I located at the lower end of the bar 39. These screws4Il formguides for the legs or poles of a horse-shoe magnet 42, attached to theupper end of a threaded shaft 43 which extends downwardly through athreaded bushing 44 mounted on the threaded portion 45 of the stud 43and rotatable in an opening in plate 4I.

Bushing 44 is held from displacement out of plate 4I by means of itsenlarged head 45a cooperating with an outer member or nut 46, secured tothe bushing by means of the set screw 41.', 'I'he outer member 46constitutes anut which, when rotated, will rotate the bushing 44 with itand cause the horse-shoe magnet 42 to be raised or lowered on the screwsor guides 40. Thus, by lowering magnet 42 to an extent desired away fromthe disks or buttons 35, the degree or extent of magnetism in buttons 35will be reduced accordingly so that the magnetic engagement of the samewith plate 30 will be lessened. Reversely, when magnet 42 is raisedtoward the disks or buttons 35 by manipulation of the nut 46, the degreeof magnetism in the disks or buttons will be increased. By this simplearrangement, the force by which the plate 30 is magnetically attractedand held by the spaced magnetized buttons 35 can be easily controlled.

When the lugs 32 engage against the end 3| of plate 30, they move theplate away from the magnetic buttons 35 and slide it over the surface ofthe table 3| until the right end of plate 30 is moved over the magneticrollers 12 which move the plate between the impression roller 2 and itscompanion roller, the bed roller 9, where the plate is coated. Magneticrollers 12 are mounted on a shaft 50 journalled in the side frames 4 and5 of .the machine, said shaft being provided at one end with a gear 5|which meshes with an idle gear 52 mounted on a stud shaft 53 andengaging and being driven by a gear 54 on shaft 8.

After passing between the impression roller 2 and the bed roller 9, theplate is then magnetically engaged by magnetic rollers 55 of thepermanent magnet type mounted on shaft 56 journalled in the sides 4 and5 of the frame. Shaft 56 carries at one of its ends a gear 51 whichmeshes with the idle gear 58 on the stud shaft 59, said idle gear 58being engaged and driven by the gear 54 on shaft 8. The extent ofmagnetic force exerted by the permanent magnetic rollers 55 is regulatedby means of a bar 60, or iron, steel or other magnetizable metal,secured at its ends on the arms 6| extending radially from shaft 62,mounted to be rocked in the side frames 5 and 4 of the machine. Shaft 62carries a radially projecting arm 63 terminating in a handle 64 andprovided With' a stud 65 extending into an arcuate slot 66 in the sideframe 4 of the machine. The stud 65 is threaded for the reception of awing nut 61 by which the stud may be set at any desired position in slot66, to thereby hold any selected position of bar 60 with respect to themagnetic rollers 55.

It will be obvious that as the bar 60 is swung toward magnetic rollers55, it will decrease the extent of magnetism in the rollers and thus,the rollers will magnetically grip the plate 30 fed to them with areduced degree of magnetism. On the other hand, when the bar 60 is swungaway from the rollers 55, the degree of magnetism in rollers 55 will beincreased and the rollers will then more firmly magnetically grip theplate 30.

vThis is of importance since the force exerted to grip and move platesof various sizes and weights by means of the rollers 55 can be easilyregulated by the simple shifting of the bar 60 and setting it at anydesired position.

Rollers 55, upon engaging the plate 36, cooperate with rollers 12 inmoving the plate from between the impression and bed rollers to beltconveyor 68 which receives and carries the coated plate away from thecoating mechanism.

By the means described, the magnetic force exerted by the feed rollersand by the plate halting means is easily regulated, and thus, the amountof magnetism required to feed and handle plates of various sizes andweights is easily controlled.

What I claim is:

1. In a metal plate-feeding machine, means for halting a plate in aposition of rest, said means comprising magnetized elements upon whichthe plate is rested, a magnet mounted adjacent to said elementsand meansfor mounting said magnet whereby it may be moved to or from themagnetized elements to governl the magnetic force exerted by themagnetized elements upon the plate.

y2. In a machine of the character described, a magnetic roller of thepermanent magnet type for magnetically gripping a plate and moving thesame, an element of magnetizable material mounted adjacent to theroller, and a mounting for said element by which the same may be movedto or from the periphery of the roller to thereby regulate the strengthof the magnetic attraction exerted by the roller on the plate engaged byit.

3. In a machine of the character described, a magnetic roller forfeeding a metal plate, and a magnetizable element mounted near theroller and movable to and from the same to vary the magneticattractionof the roller for the plate.

4. In a machine of the character described, a magnetic feed roller for ametal plate, a bar of magnetizable material pivotallyv mounted near theperiphery of the roller, means for moving the bar to or from theperiphery of the roller to thereby vary the magnetic attraction of theroller for the metal plate, and means for fixing the bar in any selectedposition relative to the periphery of the roller.

5. In a machine of the character described, a support, rollers forfeeding a metal plate to a position of rest upon said support, means onthe support to magnetically hold the plate brought to rest thereon, saidmeans comprising spaced sections of magnetizable material on the supportand magnets mounted adjacent said sections, means for adjusting saidmagnets to or from the sections, magnetic feed rollers for moving theplate from the support, a magnetizable element mounted adjacent theperiphery 'of said feed rollers, and means for adjusting themagnetizable element to and from the magnetic feed rollers to therebyvary the magnetic attraction of the said rollers for the plate engagedby them.

6. In a machine of the character described, a support of non-magneticmaterial on which a plate of magnetic material is brought to rest, apair of spaced disks mounted in said support, a magnet of horse-shoetype mounted below the support with its poles directed toward the disksand exerting magnetic attraction thereon, and means for raising andlowering the magnet to thereby bring its poles closer to or farther awayfrom the disks.

7. In a machine of the character described, a roller of the permanentmagnetic type for engaging and feeding a plate of magnetic metal, a barof magnetic metal pivotally mounted adjacent the periphery of the rollerwhereby said bar may be swung to or from the periphery of the roller, anarm extending from the bar for moving the same relative to the roller,and means for engaging the arm and holding the same at a selectedposition to thereby regulate the position of the bar with respect to theroller.

8. In a machine of the character described, a support for a metalplateto be fed, means for holding the plate on said support comprising asection of magnetizable material mounted in the amaasa support andagainst which the plate is brought to rest, a magnet mounted adjacentsaid magnetizable material and means for adjusting the position of themagnet relative to the magnetizable material to thereby vary thestrength of the magnetic attraction exerted by the magnetizable materialfor the plate.

9. In a machine of the character described, a support for a metal plateto be fed, spaced sections of magnetizable material mounted in thesupport over which the plate is brought to rest, a magnet mountedadjacent said spaced sections and having its poles in close proximity tothe sections, and a mounting for the magnet by which the same may bebrought to and from the sections to thereby vary the strength of themagnetic attraction exerted by the sections by the plate brought intocontact with them.

10. In a machine of the character described, a support on which a metalplate rests, spaced disks of magnetic material mounted in the supportand on top of which the plate is rested, a magnet of the permanent typemovably mounted below the disks, said magnet being mounted so that itspoles are adjustable to and from the disks.

AUGUST HORMEL.

